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.Stylaster regards him as an extra leg, or a sense-organ, or something.What Ecdyon knows, Stylasterknows.But it couldn't possibly occur to another Gallacellan to come to Ecdyon or to anyone like him andask him about humans.Status, you see.The Gallacellans just didn't understand.""What are you talking about?" she asked."This whole crazy affair.Can't you see what's been happening? Stylaster wants to raise the Varsovien.He has to use our ship, but using us is exactly what he tries to do.It would no more occur to him to giveaway one extra fact than it would occur to the Caradoc Company to finance the Library at NewAlexandria.Stylaster uses Charlot.Some other Gallacellan wants to let sleeping dogs lie, wants to let theVarsovien stay exactly where she is.How does he go about doing it? Does he go to Charlot? Of coursenot.Automatic Gallacellan policy is to go to the man of higher status.""But Charlot has no superiors," she said."Exactly.But do they know that? What do they know about Charlot? Nothing.Or next to nothing.Whatcan they find out about him? Without violating status, next to nothing.They know he's a big man in theLibrary.Obviously, they want to contact the top man in the Library.But they don't know the differencebetween New Alexandria and the tinpot data collation agency on Pallant.They send the message toFerrier-one of the most absurd cases of mistaken identity on record, but given the Gallacellan methods,quite plausible.Ferrier, of course, thinks it's a joke.He reads it out to his office staff.There's somephrase about destroying moons-maybe the message isn't so very good English-and Ferrier shows offhow erudite and witty he is by making that crack about the Fenris device.But Maslax is eavesdropping,and he doesn't see the joke.Minutes later, the joke turns sour.And here we are.Dead meat, the lot ofus.All because of a bloody silly mistake.""I wasn't eavesdropping," said Maslax."No," I said, with tired sarcasm, "you were reading the letter through Ferrier's eyes by sheer power ofmind.Great stuff.But if you read my mind now you'll find that I've had just about enough.Why don't yougive me the gun and the bomb-trigger and let's all pack it in and go home?"He wasn't impressed.He was still determined to send the entire population of Pallant to keep Ferrierand his girlfriend company in the fires of Hell."Mr.Grainger," said Ecdyon, interrupting."There's a ship trying to contact us.""The Cicindel?""I think it's the ship from Pallant.The Grey Goose.""You'd better." I began.But all this going over Maslax's head seemed to have upset him a little.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"I'll talk to them," he said."You just keep quiet.Grainger, if you open your mouth I'll blast you.Now justkeep quiet.You-let's hear what they want to say."Ecdyon fiddled with the controls, and then stepped back.As he moved, he staggered slightly.There was a moment's silence.Then we heard the man on the Grey Goose begin a standard call signal.He addressed us as "the ship out of Leucifer V" and reeled off his identification codes.Then he pausedand waited.I heard a muffled sound as he said something to one of his fellows-he was probablywondering if we could hear him."Can you hear me?" said Maslax, tentatively."Hello?" said the other."Hello? Are you aboard the vessel from Leucifer V? Please identify yourself.""This is Maslax," said Maslax.He had a keen sense of melodrama but no sense of propriety."Who is in command of this vessel?" asked the policeman."I'm in command," said Maslax."This vessel is under my orders." He sounded oddly calm and proud.He knew that only his voice was reaching the police ship.They couldn't see him.They had only his voiceand what he said by which to judge him.If his voice was calm and strong and proud, then so was he ashis voice went out on the circuit into space.This was his moment, and he knew it."What ship are you?" asked the policeman."Identify yourself.""This is the Varsovien," said Maslax.The statement had a majestic simplicity that authorised identificationprocedure seems to lack."You are ordered to surrender yourself and your ship," said the other, after a brief pause for a whisperedconsultation."You are under arrest.We intend to board you."Just at that moment, the deep note of the Varsovien's drive changed.It was a very subtle change, andonly a pilot would have noticed it.I did.Eve did.We exchanged a glance.We were building up totachyonic transfer.We were going to go transcee."If you come any closer," said Maslax, who was still relishing his role as Captain Blood, "then we shallopen fire and destroy you."There was another muttered consultation aboard the Grey Goose."What do you intend to do?" asked the policeman.I had been hoping that he wouldn't ask that.Hewasn't going to like the answer."The Varsovien is bound for Pallant," said Maslax, Which was a blatant lie, because we didn't evenknow which direction we were headed."We intend to annihilate all human life on the planet."The whispered conversation seemed to get heated.They had to make a decision on the spur of the moment.It was a tough decision.I hoped against hopethat they weren't going to be silly, but I was hoping against the odds.Cops are cops.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"Our instruments show that you will make transfer in about one and a half minutes," said the policeman."We'll give you just one minute.If you don't slow down within that time and acknowledge that we mayboard you, then we will fire on you."Maslax looked at Ecdyon."Destroy that ship," he ordered."No," said Ecdyon."I order you to fire on that ship," Maslax repeated, tight-lipped.He was still playing his role."No," said Ecdyon."He's a Gallacellan, Maslax," I said."He could no more fire on that ship than you could destroy it byspitting at it.It's just not in him to do it.'*Seconds were ticking by.Maslax turned his attention to me, but he pointed the gun at Eve."Then you do it," he said."I don't know how," I told him."The alien will tell you how.You will fire on that ship."I shook my head."No I won't," I said."You'll fire," he repeated."Quickly.If you don't, I'll kill the woman."I just kept shaking my head."I'm not going to do it," I said."You have the gun, you've had it all along theline.You've always been able to shoot.You still can.But it won't do you any good at all.I'm not going tofire on."We heard-but did not feel-the impact of a missile somewhere in the bowels of the ship.I heard thedistant sound of bells, and the muffled grating of machinery coming into operation.The note of the drivechanged again.The automatics had changed their mind about transfer.We were decelerating again.".that ship," I finished [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]